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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — electric
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. chair — a professorship

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