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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: mate · nail · bank · mine · firm · stock

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — for digging
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — decided
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares

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