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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: bay · kid · racket · cue · bank · stock · bear · swing

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — shares
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — goods

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