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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — help
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stock — goods
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stock — a soup base

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