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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: bank · trunk · stock · season · rule · fine · mouse · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stock — shares
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. fine — all right
  17. rule — government
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — a soup base

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