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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: mark · nail · swing · stem · stick · cabinet · fork · bass

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — low music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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