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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · cue · game · vault · wound · bank · stock · band

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. game — a match
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. band — a music group
  14. wound — an injury
  15. band — a ring
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — goods
  24. bark — to shout

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