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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. march — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stock — goods
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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