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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: stock · saw · leaves · game · race · mark · fork · bore

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — humankind
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — to tire
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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