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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: row · bank · march · pit · swing · bear · wake · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pit — a hole
  12. swing — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. row — a line
  22. stock — shares
  23. row — a quarrel
  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