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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · calf · stock · rash · ground · coach · racket · game

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ground — a position
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a match
  18. stock — shares
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. coach — a trainer

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