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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · season · stock · chair · fork · key · drill · bat

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. fork — to eat with
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — in music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — to add flavour
  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