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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: present · court · bank · deal · stand · wax · stock · land

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — ground
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. present — a gift
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — a country
  14. stock — shares
  15. court — of a king
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — goods
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — the time now
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. court — of law
  24. present — there

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