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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rush · vault · pit · stock · bound · bay · bank · band

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bank — for money
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a music group
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — for money

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