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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: vault · bank · stick · root · clip · stock · bay · row

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. root — of a plant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — a video
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a line
  7. stock — goods
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bank — of a river
  14. clip — to cut
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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