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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: stock · pass · branch · can · track · vault · cell · coach

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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