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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — shares
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — of law
  6. root — of a plant
  7. spell — magic
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a cup
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — for sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. court — of a king
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — goods
  20. branch — a division
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. root — of a word

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