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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — hurry
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a skill
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — in music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. swing — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fine — all right

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