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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: bank · face · can · stock · pound · track · hand · bass

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. face — to confront
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stock — shares
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — a weight
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. bass — low music
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hand — help
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — to keep track

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