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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chip — to eat
  20. charge — a price
  21. stock — goods
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. stock — shares

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