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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — a practice
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. season — of the year
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — shares

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