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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. degree — temperature
  3. branch — a division
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — shares
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — a break
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — to rip
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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