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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: cap · stock · foot · row · can · fork · bank · sharp

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bank — of a river
  8. sharp — clever
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stock — goods
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. row — a line

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