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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · firm · lie · rush · pitcher · court · stock · object

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — of a river
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — an aim
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — a thing
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — hurry
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — to protest

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