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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: cue · pitcher · land · calf · stock · board · net · ruler

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — goods
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — a committee
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — ground
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — a country
  24. net — after costs

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