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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: leaves · board · mug · file · branch · stock · coach · court

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of law
  7. mug — to rob
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mug — a cup
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. court — of a king
  24. leaves — lets stay

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