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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 · tube · march · bank · wave · net · ruler · roll

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — goods
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — for catching
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — a list
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — shares
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. tube — a container
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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