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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: bulb · key · stock · stem · fork · hide · rock · march

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fork — in a road
  6. march — the month
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stock — goods
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stock — shares
  24. march — music

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