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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 120 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 · tear · kid · suit · bear · charge · pitcher · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. kid — to tease
  12. charge — in control
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — shares
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — of a tree

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