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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: rush · fork · stock · fine · wake · sharp · fall · capital

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stock — goods
  5. capital — money
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. fall — the season

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