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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: wax · club · stock · bound · fine · bank · branch · mug

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. stock — shares
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fine — all right
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a face
  16. fine — high quality
  17. club — a group
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — for sculpting

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