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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. march — the month
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — a division
  10. hand — help
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. roll — a list
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — steady
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. branch — of a bank

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