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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: pit · tear · club · staff · stock · root · bank · pitcher

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — goods
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stock — shares
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — a group
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — a hole
  15. root — the cause
  16. staff — employees
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tear — to rip
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — employees
  24. bank — for money

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