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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fall — to drop
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stock — goods
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. field — farmland
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a plant
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — happening now
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a word
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — shares
  20. fall — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — electric
  24. rest — a break

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