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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — goods
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — army training
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — what's left
  23. roll — a list
  24. dip — to dunk

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