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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. branch — a division
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — shares
  8. last — finally
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — for a lock
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. root — of a word
  15. tube — a container
  16. last — final
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — in music
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. key — the most important part

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