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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — government
  4. stock — shares
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rule — a law
  24. bowl — a dish

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