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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a ring
  11. spring — a coil
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — shares
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — a division
  24. fan — a supporter

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