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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — crushed
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — the earth
  6. last — finally
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ground — a position
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ball — a dance
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. last — final
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — a division
  19. last — to go on
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a great time

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