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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 120 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: bore · stock · game · branch · rush · perch · chest · fork

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. game — a match
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chest — a box
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to tire

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