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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cue — a hint
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stock — goods
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — a division
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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