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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: season · stand · leaves · branch · deal · drill · stock · pitch

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stock — goods
  8. drill — army training
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. drill — the tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. season — in sport
  24. branch — a division

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