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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 116 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: craft · nail · stock · branch · rush · capital · firm · club

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. firm — decided
  3. stock — shares
  4. club — a group
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. firm — a company
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — goods
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — a city
  18. firm — steady
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rush — hurry
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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