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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. content — happy
  11. squash — the sport
  12. content — the amount
  13. stock — shares
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. craft — boats
  18. branch — a division

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