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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — to go on
  4. branch — a division
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — finally
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stock — shares
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — there
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. present — a gift
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stock — a soup base

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