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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: branch · pop · sharp · safe · stock · present · stand · hand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pop — music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — goods
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — there
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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