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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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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: rock · firm · tear · club · pit · stock · fork · bear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — music
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — shares
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rock — a stone
  21. club — for golf
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — to put up with

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