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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: mate · calf · stock · track · stem · deal · cold · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. stock — goods
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stock — shares
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mate — a friend
  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