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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: patient · branch · rule · stock · key · board · track · spell

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — a song
  7. branch — a division
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — goods
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spell — letters
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — a committee
  22. track — a path
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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