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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: fine · stock · cue · last · calf · jam · bore · ball

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. last — finally
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — final
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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