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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: swing · stick · row · kick · stock · prune · cap · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stock — goods
  17. kick — in football
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cap — of ice

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