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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: fork · stick · stock · bear · race · hand · leaves · firm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. firm — decided
  5. race — a contest
  6. stock — goods
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — humankind
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — in a road
  18. firm — a company
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. leaves — lets stay

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