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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: squash · stick · calf · stock · cap · present

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stock — goods
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — there
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cap — a hat

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