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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 116 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 · rush · content · bowl · stand · ball

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. content — happy
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear

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