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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: sharp · swing · stem · mug · stock · branch · can · bay

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mug — a cup
  5. branch — a division
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — in golf
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. swing — music

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