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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: stock · fall · net · chip · vault · stick · bank · present

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — goods
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — the time now
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — after costs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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