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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 120 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — for sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. field — farmland
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a great time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. field — a subject
  14. branch — a division
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — shares
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lie — an untruth

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