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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 · foot · bass · stock · bay · file · charge · straw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. charge — a price
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. file — a tool

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