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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bank — for money
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — goods
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. degree — from a university
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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