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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — rain
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — humankind
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bore — to tire
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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