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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: pass · mine · nail · branch · chest · stock · racket · bore

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — shares
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pass — a permit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stock — goods
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — for digging
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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