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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · coach · content · file · deal · fine · fork · calf

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. content — the amount
  2. file — a line of people
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — to handle
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stock — goods
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fine — all right
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stock — shares
  14. file — a document
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — a soup base
  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