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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. branch — a division
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — of the year
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stock — shares
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. club — for dancing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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