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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: dip · branch · bowl · stock · mouse · staff · spell · race

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — magic
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — a contest
  14. stock — goods
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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