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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stock — goods
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. band — a music group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — to tease
  16. band — a ring
  17. kid — child
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rest — a break
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — shares
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a committee

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