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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: foot · season · bound · branch · stock · mug · wind · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bound — tied together
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — in sport
  13. branch — a division
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bound — certain
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. mug — a face

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