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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: bat · pound · deal · stock · rash · calf · snap · tube

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — a container
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — goods
  16. snap — to click
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — the underground
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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