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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 · cue · stock · cell · land · club · can · rest

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. land — a country
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. club — a group
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. rest — a break
  16. branch — a division
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — a tin

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