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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — the cause
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — shares
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — low music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. firm — steady
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — of a word

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