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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: saw · can · clip · drill · fork · branch · suit · stock

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. clip — a video
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — to cut
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. branch — a division
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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