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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: racket · branch · hand · row · fine · sharp · stock · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. branch — a division
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — high quality

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