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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · stock · branch · clip · wound · bear · pit · cap

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cap — of ice
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pit — a hole
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. branch — a division
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a hat
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — an injury

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