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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: stock · rock · present · rush · rest · bank · degree · roll

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rest — a break
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stock — goods
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rock — music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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