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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. roll — a list
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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