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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: stock · cue · board · vault · saw · mine · branch · root

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — the cause
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — shares
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — a safe
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. stock — goods
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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