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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: lash · calf · lie · pound · press · stock · band · field

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — farmland
  14. press — to push
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — a subject
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. press — a publisher

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