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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: stock · calf · object · fall · fan · content · bay · ball

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. content — happy
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. stock — shares
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — the amount
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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