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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: drill · row · bark · saw · stock · jam · mate · branch

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. drill — army training
  3. stock — goods
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a partner
  10. row — to paddle
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. branch — a division
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mate — to breed
  18. drill — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — shares

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