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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — a division
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. march — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — employees

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