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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: hide · branch · board · saw · chip · race · can · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. race — a contest
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — for betting
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — humankind
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — a flat piece

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