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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: wake · ball · ruler · leaves · stand · fork · deal · stock

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — in a road
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stock — shares
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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