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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: craft · saw · stock · current · cabinet · race · branch · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — electric
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. cabinet — ministers

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