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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: stock · arm · fork · bass · board · march · bore · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — low music
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — a division
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — a committee
  16. bore — to drill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. march — music
  24. bore — to tire

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