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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: stock · season · stand · fork · file · stick · leaves · race

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. race — humankind
  4. file — a tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. fork — in a road
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. race — a contest
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — for spectators

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