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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: last · date · saw · key · stock · leaves · net · branch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stock — goods
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stock — shares
  10. key — in music
  11. last — final
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. last — finally
  21. net — after costs
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — a division
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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