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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
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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: lean · land · mark · key · pitch · stock · fork · bear

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — shares
  7. land — ground
  8. stock — goods
  9. mark — a trace
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — a country

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