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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: spring · bank · track · mark · stock · game · calf · mine

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — a match
  16. spring — a coil
  17. game — wild animals
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — the season
  24. game — a kind of play

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