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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: spring · fork · stock · wind · mark · kick · bore · craft

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kick — in football
  10. bore — to drill
  11. craft — boats
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fork — to eat with

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