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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a partner
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — a division
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — goods
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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