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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: stock · bank · rule · stick · craft · date · bore · fork

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — shares
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rule — government
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — goods
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rule — a law
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. bank — for money

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