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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: cap · track · stock · object · saw · bore · tear · fork

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — in a road
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stock — shares
  10. object — a thing
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. bore — to drill
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. tear — from crying

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