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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: firm · lean · pitcher · bowl · stock · branch · bank · present

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — a gift
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — decided
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — a company
  12. bank — of a river
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — the time now
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. present — there

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