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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: key · roll · stock · mouse · foot · date · chest · branch

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — in music
  3. branch — a division
  4. key — for a lock
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. date — the fruit
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stock — shares

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