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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: stock · race · branch · present · stand · sharp · dip · season

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — of the year
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — a division
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stock — goods
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — in sport

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