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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · kick · net · deal · stock · saw

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — shares
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stock — goods
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. kick — in football

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