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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — the most important part
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — government
  24. branch — of a bank

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