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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 · firm · bat · stock · pop · net · board · ruler

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. firm — steady
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — a company
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pop — soda
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — shares
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — after costs
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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