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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: staff · fine · race · wind · bank · march · can · stock

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stock — goods
  4. staff — employees
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. staff — a stick
  9. race — the arms race
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — music
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — all right
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — shares
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. race — a contest
  21. staff — employees
  22. bank — of a river
  23. march — the month
  24. wind — moving air

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