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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — in sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — a hole
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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