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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 · stock · craft · bowl · season · squash · safe · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. season — in sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — shares
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. squash — to crush
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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