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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. net — for catching
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bat — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stock — goods
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — shares
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bat — for baseball

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