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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a face
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bank — for money

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