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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: cabinet · bank · game · wake · cap · ball · stock · chest

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stock — goods
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. chest — a box
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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