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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pit — in a race
  9. file — a tool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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