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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 · roll · stock · row · hand · snap · ruler · current

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to click
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — happening now
  9. stock — goods
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. row — a line
  18. hand — help
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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