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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
468
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 · bass · branch · kid · bank · rest · current · foot

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — of water
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — low music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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