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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: sharp · can · chair · board · last · wave · branch · stock

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a committee
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chair — a leader
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — goods
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. board — to get on
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. branch — of a tree

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