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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — a division
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — in cards
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — goods
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. straw — dry grass

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