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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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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: track · stock · present · tear · branch · wave · pound · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a song
  12. present — a gift
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stock — goods
  16. present — there
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. track — a path
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tear — from crying
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tear — from crying
  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