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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — goods
  6. present — a gift
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — there
  13. net — after costs
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — shares
  21. net — in sport
  22. content — happy
  23. band — a ring
  24. rush — to hurry

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