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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. bound — certain
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — shares
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bear — 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