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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.

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: straw · hand · trunk · fan · bowl · stock · club · fork

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — shares
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — help
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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