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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. branch — a division
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — low music
  7. mate — to breed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ball — a dance
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  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