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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: tube · saw · stock · pitcher · current · fine · bank · spring

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — a container
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. bank — for money
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — electric
  14. fine — all right
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — in a tire

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