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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: mate · cue · firm · stock · rush · rash · sharp · branch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — a signal
  16. firm — decided
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — a division
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — a company
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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