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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stock — shares
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stock — goods
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — to eat with

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