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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 · stick · row · stock · mouse · staff · wake · bowl

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. row — a line
  6. stock — goods
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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