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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: plane · stock · track · bank · mate · march · ruler · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mate — a friend
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — shares
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. march — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a partner
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stock — goods
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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