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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: branch · row · mark · race · board · tube · net · stock

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tube — the underground
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. branch — a division
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — a grade
  11. race — the arms race
  12. row — to paddle
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — shares
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — humankind
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. race — a contest
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stock — goods
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a line

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