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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. branch — a division
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. craft — boats
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. suit — clothes
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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