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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: pass · cold · stock · staff · branch · saw · board · season

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cold — not warm
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — goods

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