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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: branch · file · toast · can · stock · chest · coach · mug

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. can — to be able to
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mug — to rob
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. file — a line of people
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — bread
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — a face
  17. stock — goods
  18. chest — a box
  19. file — a document
  20. can — a tin
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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