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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: spell · stock · cap · nail · fork · branch · press · staff

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — shares
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. fork — in a road

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