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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stock — goods
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — letters
  7. net — after costs
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — shares
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. net — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — for catching

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