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

Word bank: firm · current · straw · calf · rule · pitcher · face · stock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — goods
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rule — government
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. face — to confront
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — shares
  15. current — happening now
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. current — electric
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitcher — a jug

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