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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: bulb · bank · roll · stock · saw · race · deal · last

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — of a river
  3. race — the arms race
  4. roll — a list
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — humankind
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — finally
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stock — shares

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