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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — in sport
  6. rash — a series
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. net — for catching
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pop — to visit
  22. kid — child
  23. stock — goods
  24. fan — to cool the air

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