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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — goods
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — a container

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