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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 116 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: mark · pitch · stock · content · band · can · saw · bank

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a trace
  4. band — a ring
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stock — goods
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. content — happy
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. band — a music group

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