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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: branch · rash · stock · last · mate · drill · land · key

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. last — finally
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — shares
  7. mate — a partner
  8. land — ground
  9. mate — to breed
  10. branch — a division
  11. land — to come down
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. last — to go on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mate — a friend
  22. last — final
  23. land — a country
  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