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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 · season · ball · stock · bear · net · bound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — after costs
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — of the year
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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