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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. branch — a division
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — of water
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — shares
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. current — electric
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fan — to cool the air

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