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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · stock · net · file · bass · mug · land · branch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. net — in sport
  3. file — a document
  4. clip — to cut
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — for catching
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — a video
  11. branch — a division
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — for paper
  16. net — after costs
  17. file — a tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — to rob
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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