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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: stock · tear · drill · stick · rock · fork · fine · hand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — in a road
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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