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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: land · bear · stock · branch · capital · bulb · pitcher · stick

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — to come down
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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