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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: pound · stock · land · leaves · season · bay · calf · stand

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stock — goods
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — shares
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. land — a country
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. leaves — lets stay

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