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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. drill — a practice
  11. firm — decided
  12. object — a thing
  13. drill — army training
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. staff — a stick
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — goods
  18. firm — a company
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. drill — the tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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