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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: game · stand · stock · bank · bat · shower · bound · racket

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — rain
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — certain
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — wild animals
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bound — tied together
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — in an idiom

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