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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: ruler · branch · key · row · stock · board · fan · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — a line
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. key — for a lock
  6. branch — a division
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — to get on

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