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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: date · rash · craft · stick · stock · foot · branch · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — a match
  15. foot — a measure
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — boats
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. game — a kind of play

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