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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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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: kid · cabinet · net · bay · fork · foot · stock · stick

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — after costs
  14. kid — child
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stock — goods
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — to eat with

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