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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: pass · stock · last · branch · plane · fan · nail · capital

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. capital — money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a city
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. last — finally
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — a division
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. plane — a tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — final

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