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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 116 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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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: nail · net · stock · rule · fall · calf · bowl · season

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — a law
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — in sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rule — government

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