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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — shares
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — to come from

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