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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stock — goods
  9. rest — a break
  10. current — electric
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — shares
  15. branch — a division
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rest — what's left

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