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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · march · sharp · stock · bass · kick · bore · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. march — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — in football
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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