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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. branch — a division
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bound — certain
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bark — to shout
  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