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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: suit · game · march · stock · plane · fork · current · staff

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — clothes
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — in a road
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. suit — to fit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. march — the month
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stock — goods
  21. march — music
  22. current — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. game — wild animals

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