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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: bass · bank · leaves · stock · bowl · bear · hand · deal

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — in cards
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bank — of a river

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