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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
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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: cue · branch · fork · stock · track · present · cell · rush

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. present — there
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. present — a gift
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. present — the time now
  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