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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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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 · stock · stem · firm · craft · file · deal · bass

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — shares
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a document
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. file — a tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. firm — a company

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