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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 120 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: stock · calf · squash · trunk · fork · firm · rash · staff

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. firm — a company
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stock — shares
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. squash — the sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rash — hasty

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