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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — shares
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — in football
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — of a bank

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