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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stock — goods
  7. scale — in music
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. branch — a division
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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