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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — in a race
  12. march — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — to come from
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stock — shares
  24. branch — of a bank

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