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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 · nail · stock · pit · date · firm · squash · bat

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — to crush
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. branch — a division
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. branch — of a bank

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