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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: firm · straw · stock · row · stand · branch · cap · prune

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. firm — decided
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. firm — steady
  11. stock — goods
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. row — to paddle
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. prune — to trim

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