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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · tube · wind · wound · coach · suit · stock · pound

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. branch — a division
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — goods
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. suit — clothes

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