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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: wave · stock · band · toast · stand · arm · drill · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a music group
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. drill — army training
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — in a road
  18. band — a ring
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. arm — part of the body

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