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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pop — to visit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rock — music
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pop — soda
  13. branch — a division
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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