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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — shares
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stock — goods
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — to drill
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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