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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — of the year
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. current — electric
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to click
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. branch — a division
  21. season — in sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pop — to visit

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