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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: rash · arm · court · hide · calf · content · pop · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — soda
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. calf — a young animal

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