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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — to keep track
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stock — shares
  16. band — a music group
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com