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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 120 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: sharp · racket · file · branch · can · row · stock · mug

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. row — a line
  3. sharp — clever
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — goods
  6. mug — to rob
  7. file — a document
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. row — to paddle
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stock — shares
  22. file — a tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — of a tree

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