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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: rash · fork · stock · plane · band · scale · branch · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stock — shares
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. branch — a division
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rash — a series
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — bread
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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