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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: mouse · bank · pitch · game · wake · stock · staff · trunk

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. game — a match
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stock — goods
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wake — a trail
  13. game — wild animals
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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