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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 · fork · jam · rock · row · march · bank · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — goods
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rock — music
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — to paddle
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — shares
  18. march — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. march — the month

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