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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: wax · pitcher · mine · present · bank · trunk · stock · stand

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — there
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. present — the time now
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — a gift
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a tree

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