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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a path
  4. root — the cause
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a song
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — to keep track
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. deal — to handle
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. march — music

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