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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — music
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. fine — all right
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — what's left

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