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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: stock · bore · branch · pitch · stand · trunk · squash · rash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — shares
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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