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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · mug · stock · branch · fine · object · club · wind

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mug — to rob
  9. object — an aim
  10. club — a group
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mug — a cup
  14. object — a thing
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. club — for golf
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. branch — of a bank

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