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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. field — for sport
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — of water
  10. field — a subject
  11. spring — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — certain
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bound — tied together
  20. field — farmland
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mark — a grade

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