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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 124 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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. fall — to drop
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. present — there
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stock — shares
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — the time now
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. season — of the year
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fall — to drop
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. craft — boats
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — in sport
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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