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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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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 · can · firm · stick · content · cold · ball · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. 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. rock — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — a company
  9. cold — not warm
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — decided
  20. ball — a great time
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — a stone
  24. 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