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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cell — in biology
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in a prison

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