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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. net — for catching
  3. stock — goods
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stock — shares
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. last — finally
  10. branch — a division
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bank — for money
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. last — to go on

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