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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: suit · cabinet · tear · net · stock · bank · bound · march

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — to rip
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — goods
  12. net — after costs
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — in cards
  17. march — music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stock — shares
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — certain
  24. march — the month

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