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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. firm — steady
  3. bass — the fish
  4. file — a document
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. charge — in control
  8. stock — shares
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cell — in biology
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — a phone
  17. branch — a division
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — decided
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — a price

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