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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
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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: spell · ball · calf · stock · row · sharp · content · can

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — a line
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — a short time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — to be able to
  11. row — to paddle
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — goods
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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