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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: fork · racket · toast · chip · stand · field · rash · stock

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — to eat
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — a subject

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