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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 116 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: rest · ground · craft · cabinet · branch · last · stock · ruler

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — a break
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. branch — a division
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — finally
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — to go on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — final

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