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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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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: bank · rock · stock · vault · net · rash · jam · spell

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. net — in sport
  10. spell — magic
  11. vault — a safe
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — in traffic

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