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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 120 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: fine · rule · firm · stock · game · branch · net · wax

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rule — a law
  3. branch — a division
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stock — goods
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. firm — steady
  14. net — after costs
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — all right
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — a company
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — shares
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rule — government
  24. branch — of a tree

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