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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: bowl · branch · stock · ball · rule · lean · dip · leaves

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rule — a law
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lean — thin
  5. stock — shares
  6. lean — to bend
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rule — government
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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