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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stock — goods
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. date — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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