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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. march — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. shower — rain
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — to wash
  24. present — a gift

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