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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: pit · stock · foot · straw · calf · pitcher · shower · bound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. shower — rain
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pit — in a race
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — to wash
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — obliged

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