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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: stock · bank · tube · fan · bowl · pop · vault · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — goods
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. tube — a container
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pop — music

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