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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: deal · track · branch · racket · lie · date · jam · stock

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. date — the fruit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — to recline
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a path
  24. branch — of a bank

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