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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — low music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — shares

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