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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 · stock · hand · mouse · chair · land · mug · pop

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pop — soda
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — help
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mug — a face
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — to visit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — a leader
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — a soup base

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