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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: pass · stock · bass · racket · net · branch · cabinet · field

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. field — for sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — a subject
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. net — for catching
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. field — farmland
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the fish

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