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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: can · cold · ball · bank · net · mug · fine · stock

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stock — goods
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — shares
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bank — of a river
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mug — a face
  16. net — for catching
  17. cold — not warm
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — after costs
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — all right
  23. mug — to rob
  24. can — a tin

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