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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 · date · stand · stock · wake · mine · drill · sharp

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stock — goods
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. drill — army training
  16. stock — shares
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — the tool
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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