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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — music
  3. net — after costs
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spring — of water
  16. branch — a division
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rock — to move gently

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