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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 · straw · craft · bank · bulb · branch · mug · chair

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stock — goods
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — to rob
  24. craft — a skill

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