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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.

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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: season · key · track · saw · branch · lash · chair · stock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — a song
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stock — shares
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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