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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: fork · stock · mouse · capital · racket · vault · ruler · file

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. capital — money
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. file — a document
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — a city
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mouse — 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