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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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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: bank · kid · pass · stock · present · row · toast · bear

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. kid — child
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stock — shares
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — a gift
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a line
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. present — the time now
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bank — for money

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