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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 · pitcher · pound · roll · stock · hide · kid · chest

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. roll — a list
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chest — a box
  14. pound — a weight
  15. roll — a cake
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kid — child
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pound — for dogs

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