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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: pit · sharp · fan · rock · bowl · stock · bank · calf

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bank — of a river
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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