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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 · bass · bark · lean · fan · calf · firm · deal

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bass — low music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — a company
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — thin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lean — to bend
  24. calf — of the leg

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