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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: band · date · calf · tube · stock · hide · game · fine

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. band — a music group
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tube — the underground
  10. band — a ring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stock — shares
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — in a tire

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