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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wound · bank · net · bear · deal · swing · foot

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. net — in sport
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — goods
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. swing — to play on

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