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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: bank · rash · cue · vault · mark · stock · spell · object

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bank — for money
  4. object — a thing
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — goods
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — a series
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. object — an aim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rash — on the skin
  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