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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: capital · file · deal · calf · band · can · bear · stock

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a music group
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. capital — money
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stock — shares
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a document

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