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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — goods
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. firm — decided
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — shares
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cell — a phone

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