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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · calf · stock · patient · racket · branch · wax · fall

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — goods
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — shares
  18. degree — an amount
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. patient — a sick person

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