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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stock — shares

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