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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: mine · branch · toast · tube · stand · fall · stock · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — shares
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. toast — bread
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — for digging
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — goods
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — a container
  24. stand — on your feet

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