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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: swing · straw · bank · field · pass · plane · shower · stock

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. swing — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — goods
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. shower — rain
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stock — shares

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