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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: game · bank · stock · tear · fall · suit · jam · pitcher

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stock — shares
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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