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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 116 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: field · tube · pass · stock · pitcher · deal · cabinet · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — for sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. field — a subject

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