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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: rock · band · field · stock · craft · bear · fork · cabinet

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fork — in a road
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. craft — boats
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. bear — to put up 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