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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: stock · calf · chest · mug · root · track · hand · spell

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — goods
  4. chest — a box
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. root — the cause
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hand — help
  17. spell — letters
  18. track — to keep track
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — a song
  21. root — of a word
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spell — magic

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