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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: branch · wound · craft · row · game · firm · deal · stock

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — a skill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — boats
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. firm — a company
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — to handle
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — a match
  23. row — to paddle
  24. branch — a division

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