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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · tube · branch · craft · stock · march · fork · roll

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. roll — a list
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — the month
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — music

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