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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stock — goods
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — an amount
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — from a university
  21. charge — a price
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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