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

Word bank: last · saw · bank · suit · wake · deal · stock · board

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. suit — in cards
  3. last — final
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stock — shares
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — to get on
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. last — to go on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a committee
  19. suit — to fit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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