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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. last — to go on
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. last — final
  13. rash — hasty
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stock — goods

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