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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. present — a gift
  2. stock — shares
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rash — hasty
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. row — to paddle
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. row — a line
  16. race — humankind
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — a company
  21. rash — a series
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  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