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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — for catching
  6. branch — a division
  7. squash — to crush
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — certain
  11. face — part of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — obliged
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. face — to confront
  23. squash — the sport
  24. net — in sport

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