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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 116 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: spell · drill · cap · kid · stock · calf · march · safe

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — a short time
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spell — magic
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kid — child
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — music

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