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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 120 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 · stock · fork · wake · chip · rest · deal · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — goods
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rest — a break
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — for betting
  15. present — there
  16. fork — in a road
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — shares
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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