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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. land — ground
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — to breed
  13. land — a country
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. suit — to fit
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pit — a hole

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