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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. branch — a division
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ground — a position
  11. chair — a leader
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stock — goods
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stock — shares
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. branch — of a bank

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