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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. last — to go on
  4. branch — a division
  5. ball — a great time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. last — finally
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a dance

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