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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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Word bank
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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: fork · root · band · stick · cabinet · can · face · stock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — goods
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a music group
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — of a word
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — shares
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. face — to confront
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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