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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 120 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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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: stock · ruler · club · wind · shower · bank · swing · mine

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. shower — rain
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. club — a group
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — shares
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — for golf

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