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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. club — for golf
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. club — a group
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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