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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: file · stock · club · nail · craft · drill · game · branch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a document
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — goods
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. branch — a division
  19. club — for dancing
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — a tool

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