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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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468
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: fine · calf · trunk · band · mug · coach · stock · racket

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a music group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a ring
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mug — a face
  24. fine — all right

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