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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: roll · stock · branch · stick · nail · mine · land · bank

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — ground
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — goods
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — shares
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. land — to come down
  18. roll — a list
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — a cake
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. branch — of a tree

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