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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: stock · ruler · sharp · last · branch · tube · season · bowl

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — goods
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — finally
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. last — to go on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — the underground
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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