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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · nail · present · club · fork · stock · bark · object

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — there
  12. bark — to shout
  13. object — an aim
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. present — a gift
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — to protest

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