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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — shares
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stock — goods
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wound — an injury
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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