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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. press — newspapers
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. current — electric
  7. press — to push
  8. current — happening now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — goods

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