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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — an injury
  9. branch — a division
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — high quality
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. snap — to click
  20. track — a path
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — a song

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