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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: key · kid · ground · cap · stock · bay · bank · tube

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a lid
  8. kid — child
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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