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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: branch · shower · field · stock · temple · bore · coach · key

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. branch — a division
  9. stock — shares
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. key — for a lock
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. field — a subject
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — for sport
  24. bore — to tire

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