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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 · lie · coach · race · bear · stock · cap · bore

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. stock — shares
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — to tire
  6. race — humankind
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stock — goods
  10. lie — to recline
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bear — the animal

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