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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 116 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: ground · present · calf · stock · deal · hide · mine · can

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. ground — a position
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — a tin
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. present — a gift
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stock — shares
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — the earth

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