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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — a big deal

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