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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: stock · field · swing · bowl · fork · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. field — for sport
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — shares
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. field — a subject
  18. swing — music

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