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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: stock · kid · hand · stand · object · jam · toast · calf

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — to protest
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hand — help
  12. kid — child
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. object — a thing
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — in cards
  24. calf — a young animal

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