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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: wave · racket · coach · key · branch · fork · hand · stock

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — for tennis

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