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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — shares
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. branch — a division
  24. stock — goods

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