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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — shares
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — soda
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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