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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · temple · stick · cabinet · branch · racket · press · bulb

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — newspapers
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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