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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. court — of a king
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — of law
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. staff — a stick
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. court — for sport
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a ring
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pass — a permit
  20. swing — to play on
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. band — a music group
  24. mouse — the animal

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