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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: ball · suit · content · row · stock · roll · calf · wax

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — shares
  11. ball — a dance
  12. suit — to fit
  13. row — a line
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stock — goods
  16. roll — a list
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — the amount

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