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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: arm · calf · band · rule · content · shower · stock · key

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rule — government
  5. content — the amount
  6. band — a music group
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — in music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rule — a law
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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