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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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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: land · band · bank · bark · stock · can · suit · hand

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — shares
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a ring
  11. land — a country
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a music group
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — ground
  17. hand — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. can — to be able to

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