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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 120 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 · mouse · staff · bound · stock · scale · bear · season

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. staff — employees
  24. stock — goods

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