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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stock — shares
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — a division
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — to handle
  24. leaves — to go away

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