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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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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: stock · fork · bank · stem · club · drill

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. fork — in a road
  3. drill — army training
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — a group
  10. bank — of a river
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  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