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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — of a king
  9. stock — shares
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — a song
  13. degree — from a university
  14. charge — in control
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — to grow
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — to bear

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