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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a document
  6. ground — the earth
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — a hat
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — a lid
  17. file — a tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. file — a line of people
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. ruler — a monarch

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