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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. branch — a division
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — in music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rock — a stone

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