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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 · prune · stick · branch · wax · nail · racket · ground

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — to trim

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