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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: stock · key · cap · tube · bass · bank · jam · present

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. tube — the underground
  3. key — in music
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cap — a hat
  7. key — for a lock
  8. present — a gift
  9. stock — shares
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — the time now
  12. cap — of ice
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stock — goods
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — there
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bank — of a river
  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