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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: fan · fork · kid · stock · deal · calf · pass · scale

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. kid — child
  12. stock — goods
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — in music

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