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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — a series
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. degree — an amount
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pop — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — hasty
  20. snap — to click
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — from a university

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