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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: fork · wake · track · key · row · dip · cap · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. row — a line
  3. key — in music
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cap — a hat
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. row — to paddle
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cap — a lid
  24. track — a song

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