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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: rock · branch · fine · chip · tear · stock · swing · prune

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tear — to rip
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. swing — in golf
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stock — goods
  24. swing — music

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