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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — to go on
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. last — final
  6. stock — shares
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. last — finally
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mouse — the 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