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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 120 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: spell · club · mate · branch · arm · cabinet · stock · wind

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — a group
  3. branch — a division
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — letters
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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