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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: date · racket · present · row · stock · safe · branch · rest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. row — a line
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stock — shares
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stock — goods
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — a break
  22. present — there
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — the fruit

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