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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: mark · date · saw · stock · tube · cabinet · calf · rest

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rest — a break
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tube — a container

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