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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: mark · stock · band · bank · hide · fall · pit · key

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — in a race

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