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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: calf · squash · tube · bulb · fork · season · stock · degree

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — to crush
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. season — of the year
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — the underground
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — a container
  23. degree — an amount
  24. season — to add flavour

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