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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — in sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — to come down
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — goods
  20. net — for catching
  21. land — a country
  22. club — a group
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — to keep secret

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