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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: pop · cap · toast · stock · craft · face · calf · chair

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pop — soda
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pop — to visit
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a lid
  17. craft — boats
  18. pop — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stock — goods
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. face — to confront
  24. cap — a hat

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