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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: firm · rock · drill · game · wake · craft · branch · stock

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. rock — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. game — a match
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. craft — a skill

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