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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: safe · mouse · field · stock · calf · bat

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. field — farmland
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stock — goods
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport

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