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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 120 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: temple · branch · rest · current · stock · net · board · pop

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — a division
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — goods

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