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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: land · prune · rock · stock · bay · calf · spell · ball

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — letters
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — shares
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — to come down

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