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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — of a king
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. branch — a division
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — of law
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. track — a song
  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