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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: plane · stock · rash · straw · pitcher · squash · calf · fine

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fine — all right
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — the sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — a series
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — high quality

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