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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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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: firm · rule · stick · present · cell · stock · bank · bear

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — a company
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — there
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — steady
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — decided
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rule — government
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — of a river
  20. present — the time now
  21. rule — a law
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — goods

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