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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: bore · branch · prune · club · stock · bat · mark · craft

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — shares
  7. craft — a skill
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. branch — a division
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mark — a grade
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — goods
  24. mark — to pay attention

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