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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: rock · fall · land · dip · pop · stock · fork · key

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pop — soda
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pop — music
  6. land — a country
  7. key — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. fall — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. land — to come down

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