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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — goods
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — a soup base

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