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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 · stock · saw · pitcher · deal · cell · lean · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stock — shares
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — goods
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — thin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cell — a phone
  24. calf — a young animal

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