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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 120 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: stock · bank · court · race · key · cabinet · prune · chip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bank — of a river
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. chip — for betting
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. key — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of law
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — to trim

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