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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — a division
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — goods
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bowl — a football final

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