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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — a song
  6. chest — a box
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — a path
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — to keep track
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — a division
  19. chest — of your body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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