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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 116 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: scale · mark · wound · stock · stick · fork · plane · swing

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. swing — to play on

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