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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: ground · branch · arm · cell · stock · firm · scale · stand

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. scale — size or range
  3. firm — decided
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — goods
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. firm — a company
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — a position
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. scale — in music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — a division

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