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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 · squash · branch · field · leaves · mine · nail · jam

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. field — for sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. field — a subject
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. branch — a division
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. squash — to crush
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — for a hammer

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