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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: racket · band · hand · date · fine · stock · calf · can

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stock — goods
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stock — shares
  18. hand — help
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — all right
  24. can — a tin

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