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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: roll · ground · cabinet · lash · foot · current · stock · fork

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stock — shares
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — happening now
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stock — goods
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. current — of water
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — electric

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