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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: row · land · temple · pitcher · pop · board · stock · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a committee
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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