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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: calf · rest · stock · cap · mate · field · last · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. last — final
  5. can — to be able to
  6. field — farmland
  7. mate — to breed
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — shares
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. last — finally
  24. mate — a friend

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