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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stock — goods
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — a division
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ground — a position

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