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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: branch · lean · fan · pop · racket · chip · stock · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. chip — to eat
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stock — goods
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — for tennis

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