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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: calf · bore · squash · stock · cabinet · charge · craft · mine

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — goods
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. squash — to crush

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