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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 · kid · deal · ground · stock · club · hide · fine

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — a position
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stock — goods
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fine — high quality
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — shares

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