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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for golf
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. present — a gift
  12. stock — goods
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. present — there
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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