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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. field — farmland
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — a division
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — for sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mug — a face
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — government
  19. stock — goods
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. pop — soda

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