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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 116 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: prune · stock · land · cabinet · leaves · tube · key · bank

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — ground
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — to come down
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. land — a country

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