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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. board — to get on
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — in 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