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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: pop · board · spell · stock · bay · pitcher · branch · chest

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. branch — a division
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a committee
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  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