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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — of the year
  9. swing — to play on
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. scale — size or range

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