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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ground — crushed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — there
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. present — a gift
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — shares
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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