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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: bank · board · land · branch · mine · fork · craft · stock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — goods
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. land — a country
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — to get on
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. stock — shares
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mine — for digging

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