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

Word bank: race · stem · fine · deal · stock · bound · fan · branch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bound — obliged
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fine — all right
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stock — goods
  14. branch — a division
  15. race — humankind
  16. bound — certain
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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