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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: stock · fall · stick · fork · mark · last · lean · march

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mark — a grade
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — the month
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. march — the month

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