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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: calf · safe · roll · ball · stock · file · kid · spell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — goods
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — shares
  7. roll — a list
  8. file — a tool
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — child
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kid — to tease
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a document
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. roll — a cake
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — magic

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