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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: bass · kick · racket · fork · fine · stock · wind · row

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fork — in a road
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. row — a line
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stock — shares
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — with a leg

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