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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — magic
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — from crying
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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