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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: pass · wound · branch · stock · bore · hand · pop · swing

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — to play on
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. swing — in golf

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