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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — a position
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — for golf
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pop — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — a division
  18. tear — to rip
  19. club — a group
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. charge — in control
  24. pit — a hole

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