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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stock — shares
  13. degree — from a university
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rule — government
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fork — in a road

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