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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — a path
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — to keep track
  12. face — to confront
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. branch — a division
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stock — a soup base

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