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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · wind · present · rock · ball · squash · calf

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stock — goods
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rock — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a great time

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