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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: stock · scale · face · bank · stand · bark · jam · club

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. club — for golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to confront
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — to point toward
  12. scale — in music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. scale — size or range
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stand — to bear
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. club — a group
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. scale — for weighing

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