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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: march · stock · field · plane · branch · bowl · board · wake

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. march — the month
  12. wake — a trail
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — goods
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. field — for sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — a subject

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