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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — a face
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. key — in music
  11. branch — a division
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to confront
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. branch — of a bank

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