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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: branch · stick · pitch · wax · fan · file · stock · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stock — goods
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — a trail
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitch — completely
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — a division
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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