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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — the earth
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stock — goods
  24. branch — of a bank

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