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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: bank · nail · march · file · bulb · stock · deal · fan

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stock — goods

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