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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: rock · band · stock · branch · charge · key · mug · rest

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — goods
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a music group
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — in control
  24. rest — what's left

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