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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitch — completely
  7. present — a gift
  8. fork — in a road
  9. present — there
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. present — the time now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — shares

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