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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stock — shares
  3. pound — a weight
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. capital — money
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — to be able to
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — a series

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