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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 116 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
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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: sharp · shower · stick · scale · bank · stock · pit · key

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — in music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bank — of a river
  15. key — for a lock
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — goods
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. key — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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