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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: fork · fall · safe · wax · deal · stock · cap · content

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fall — the season
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stock — goods
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — to grow
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. safe — out of danger

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