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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 · roll · rule · march · stand · spring · mate · stock

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rule — a law
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — to bear
  24. march — the month

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