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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 · fine · bowl · wound · craft · mug · branch · capital

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. capital — money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. craft — boats
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — shares
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fine — all right

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