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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. craft — a skill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a bank

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