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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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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: last · pass · stock · cue · branch · fan · root · deal

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. root — of a word
  13. last — finally
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — final
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — goods
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. last — to go on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cue — a signal

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