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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. rash — a series
  4. row — a line
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stock — goods
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — a division
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tube — in a tire
  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