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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — a division
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — hurry
  16. last — to go on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. last — final
  24. rush — to hurry

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