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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: drill · chip · rest · calf · ground · stock · fan · net

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — a position
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — for catching
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — army training
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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