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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stock — shares
  3. file — a tool
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — there
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. file — a document
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — soda
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fall — the season
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chest — of your body
  24. branch — a division

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