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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: cabinet · root · firm · stock · bank · cell · wind · swing

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — a phone
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — the cause
  8. firm — decided
  9. stock — goods
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — of a word
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — a company
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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