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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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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: rule · sharp · bore · foot · season · stock · branch · stick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rule — a law
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rule — government
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rule — to rule out

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