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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: rush · land · temple · file · pound · tube · stock · bank

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rush — hurry
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. land — ground
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — to come down
  20. stock — shares
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pound — for dogs

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