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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.

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: racket · stock · leaves · calf · board · squash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — the sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — goods

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