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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 116 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 · stock · stand · current · hand · mine · root · board

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — of water
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — goods
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. root — of a word
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — a division
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — shares

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