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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · straw · calf · court · tear · board · stock · staff

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stock — goods
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — music
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — for sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. staff — a stick
  12. board — a committee
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — to move gently

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