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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. drill — army training
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. toast — bread
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — goods
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hand — help
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rash — a series
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bank — for money
  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