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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: mark · bowl · stock · dip · sharp · leaves · deal · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — shares
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — goods
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — of a river
  24. dip — to sink

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