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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — for sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — goods
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — a hat
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. branch — a division
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — a lid

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