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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: wound · nail · march · net · stock · suit · toast · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — for catching
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — of a river
  10. net — after costs
  11. march — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — shares
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — goods
  18. toast — bread
  19. suit — to fit
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — for a hammer

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