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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. roll — a cake
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rock — music

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