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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: sharp · straw · pop · arm · fall · stock · ball · calf

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fall — the season
  9. ball — a great time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fall — to drop

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