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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: rash · fork · stand · stock · hand · root · ground · stick

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. root — the cause
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — help
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — on the skin

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