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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: foot · stock · squash · track · branch · kid · trunk · nail

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kid — child
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. branch — a division
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — of a car

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