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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: spell · bank · press · mouse · march · mark · stock · wound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — of a river
  11. press — to push
  12. march — music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — goods
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. spell — letters

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