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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: stock · track · ruler · race · perch · branch · fork · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. race — a contest
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — a division
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. race — the arms race
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — shares
  18. track — a path
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — goods
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — for a bird

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