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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. roll — a cake
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — shares
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spring — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bowl — a football final

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