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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
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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: rule · bass · chest · bowl · stock · trunk · bank · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — low music
  10. chest — a box
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rule — a law
  13. bank — for money
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. land — to come down
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bass — the fish
  18. land — ground
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — government

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