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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · wave · bank · stock · spring · cabinet · fork · mine

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. spring — the season
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bat — for baseball

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