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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. current — of water
  5. pop — music
  6. current — electric
  7. track — a path
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stock — goods

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