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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: date · branch · stock · leaves · mine · ruler · deal · mouse

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — shares
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — for measuring

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