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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. shower — rain
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — the cause
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. stock — shares
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — a young animal

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