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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 · wound · rush · hand · pound · charge · chest · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stock — shares

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