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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
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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: mouse · cabinet · march · straw · stock · coach · bear · calf

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. straw — dry grass

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