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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — a company
  4. ball — a great time
  5. land — a country
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. firm — steady
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rule — government
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stock — shares
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rule — a law
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. land — to come down
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a dance
  23. firm — decided
  24. land — ground

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