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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — letters
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — to bear
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — a permit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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