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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: cap · bank · ball · scale · trunk · stock · date · rest

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stock — shares
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — a break

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