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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. club — a group
  4. stock — goods
  5. club — for golf
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rock — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a line of people
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — of a bank

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