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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · stock · tube · calf · bowl · court · bay · season

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — for sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. court — of law
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stock — shares
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stock — goods
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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