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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. club — for golf
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — decided
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. branch — a division
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — to add flavour
  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