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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 · rule · bear · kid · stock · bass · kick · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — goods
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — low music
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — shares
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — there
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — government
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. kid — to tease
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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