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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: branch · cabinet · last · suit · stock · rash · trunk · pitch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. last — finally
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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