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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — to get on
  3. spell — a short time
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — a committee
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — steady
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — letters
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — a company

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