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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: wind · stock · fine · club · fork · can · date · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — to be able to
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. club — a group
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — all right
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — in a road
  15. date — the fruit
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — to eat with

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