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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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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: ground · date · bank · stock · bear · tear · present · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — there
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — crushed
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — a gift
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — the fruit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — from crying

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