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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: rash · rule · bass · calf · stock · staff · kid · cell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cell — in biology
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — child
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — goods
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bass — low music
  22. rule — government
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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