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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: track · fan · present · stock · pitcher · drill · branch · tube

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — to keep track
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. present — there

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