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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.

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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: rest · fan · stock · lean · fork · can · bass · court

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — a break
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to bend
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bass — low music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. court — of law
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — to eat with
  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