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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: march · fork · rest · stock · calf · branch · temple · key

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — a division
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rest — what's left
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — 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