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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. content — happy
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. club — for golf
  8. perch — the fish
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — a division
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — of water
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — a position
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — the earth

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