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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — of a word
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — goods
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. root — the cause
  17. last — final
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. last — to go on

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