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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: mate · content · roll · calf · prune · march · stock · lean

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — thin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — happy
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — goods
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — to trim
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mate — a friend
  24. march — the month

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