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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stock — goods
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — to be able to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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