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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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468
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: cabinet · bank · rush · net · bass · fine · file · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fine — all right
  3. net — after costs
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a document
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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