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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: wound · stock · can · stand · bank · last · nail · root

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. stand — to bear
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — to go on
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. last — final
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. can — to be able to
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — shares
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — a tin

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