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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: roll · fall · racket · bound · dip · rush · fork · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. stock — shares
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — a list
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fall — the season
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — to sink
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stock — goods
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bound — tied together
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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