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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · object · drill · band · pit · fine · clip · fork

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. band — a music group
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — in a road
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. drill — army training
  18. clip — for paper
  19. object — to protest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — a practice
  23. clip — a video
  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