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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. track — a path
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bound — certain
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. can — to be able to
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. track — to keep track
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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