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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. deal — to handle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — a division
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. key — in music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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