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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. branch — a division
  3. stock — goods
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. file — a document
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a great time
  24. face — part of the head

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