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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.

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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: fork · stock · rash · dip · stand · stick · bulb · safe

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — a series
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fork — in a road

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