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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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. stock — goods
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — electricity
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. charge — in control
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. swing — to play on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — to handle
  16. swing — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a committee
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — shares

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