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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: club · sharp · plane · pass · mate · stick · bank · stock

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stock — shares
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — an aircraft

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