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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: bark · temple · cell · fork · stock · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — goods
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fork — a garden tool

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