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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: last · wake · chip · mark · fork · stock · tear · tube

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — final
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. tube — a container
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — to go 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