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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — goods
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — the fish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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