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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: chair · game · hand · can · fork · bowl · stock · firm

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hand — help
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. firm — steady
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stock — shares
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — a company
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. firm — decided
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — a kind of play

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