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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 120 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 · bark · sharp · stem · bay · stock · ground · chip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stem — to come from
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bay — a horse colour

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