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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — clever
  7. branch — a division
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — shares
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mug — a face
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stock — goods
  24. branch — of a tree

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