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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 · content · mouse · dip · kick · date · stock · kid

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — happy
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kid — to tease
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. date — the fruit
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kid — child
  19. content — the amount
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to dunk

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