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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: calf · stock · date · chip · bulb · safe · court · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — thin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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