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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: fork · jam · fall · stock · net · mate · row · race

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a line
  4. fall — the season
  5. stock — goods
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — humankind
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — to paddle
  23. race — a contest
  24. mate — a partner

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