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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — goods
  3. branch — a division
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. craft — a skill
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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