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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: suit · stock · bank · race · coach · rock · branch · clip

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. clip — to cut
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — humankind
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — a video
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — a contest

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