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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 120 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 · current · staff · branch · bank · mine · dip · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — a division
  6. dip — to sink
  7. current — happening now
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — electric
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — employees

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