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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. band — a music group
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a ring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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