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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. deal — to handle
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kick — in football

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