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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — in music
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — in a race
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. firm — a company
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — for sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — an injury
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of a king
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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