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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — goods
  3. march — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rest — a break
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — a measure
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. charge — electricity

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