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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tear — to rip
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — from crying
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — for pool
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. season — in sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — shares

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