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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. branch — a division
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. key — in music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. last — final

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