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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 116 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: can · degree · stock · stick · saw · last · spring · fork

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — final
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. can — to be able to
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — the season
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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