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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 120 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 · pop · spring · bay · temple · march · stock · prune

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stock — shares
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — music
  24. calf — of the leg

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