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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: stock · band · branch · pitcher · toast · stand · spring · safe

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — a division
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a ring
  11. toast — bread
  12. band — a music group
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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