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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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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: stem · fork · vault · stock · stick · hide

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — goods
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. vault — a safe

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