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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: mark · mine · fork · bowl · swing · stock · calf · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stock — shares
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. swing — music
  8. mine — for digging
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — goods
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. swing — to play on

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