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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: band · stock · racket · branch · firm · straw · swing · mark

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a grade
  4. swing — in golf
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. swing — to play on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — a company
  22. stock — goods
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mark — to pay attention

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