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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chip — for betting
  3. court — of law
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — size or range
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — a division
  14. drill — a practice
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — army training
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. court — of a king
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stock — goods

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