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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: racket · fan · can · content · straw · stock · bark · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. content — the amount
  13. can — to be able to
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stock — shares
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fine — all right

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