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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 120 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: lash · pound · content · fork · ball · bore · stock · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stock — goods
  21. pound — a weight
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — a garden tool

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