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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: club · branch · mark · stem · stock · leaves · key · pop

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — a group
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mark — a trace
  15. club — for golf
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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