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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. march — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — shares
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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