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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: ground · can · bound · cell · calf · wound · perch · stock

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — certain
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — a phone

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