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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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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 · stem · fork · swing · date · cabinet · wave · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stock — shares
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — goods
  22. band — a music group
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stem — to come from

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