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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: saw · mark · game · rest · branch · toast · stock · cue

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — what's left
  23. toast — bread
  24. game — wild animals

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