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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: bank · craft · land · racket · stock · wax · object · can

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — an aim
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — boats
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — a country
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. object — a thing
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — to grow
  20. craft — a skill
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. object — to protest
  24. bank — for money

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