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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 · charge · stand · mine · bat · bank · swing

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — goods
  10. charge — a price
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — of a river
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — a division

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