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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: deal · march · wave · fall · bark · foot · fork · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fall — the season
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. march — music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bark — to shout
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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