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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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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 · stock · wake · can · rash · court · leaves · season

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. season — in sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stock — goods
  9. court — of law
  10. rash — a series
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — for sport
  19. stock — shares
  20. court — of a king
  21. season — of the year
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. can — to be able to

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