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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: lie · tube · rush · present · degree · field · stock · bank

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — shares
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lie — to recline
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — a subject
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. present — there
  24. stock — a soup base

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