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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. branch — a division
  3. capital — a city
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. drill — army training
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a big letter

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