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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 120 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: pop · squash · fork · fall · stock · stand · saw · bay

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — the season
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — a garden tool

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