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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: branch · pit · club · straw · pop · stock · rash · court

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stock — goods
  3. court — of law
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — a hole
  18. court — for sport
  19. stock — shares
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — of a king
  24. pit — in a race

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