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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — in music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — music
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. bass — low music

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