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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: vault · bore · firm · stock · toast · prune · club · branch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stock — goods
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — steady
  11. vault — a safe
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — to tire
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. firm — a company
  21. bore — to drill
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — a group

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