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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: scale · game · foot · vault · bear · calf · hand · stock

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. scale — in music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — a safe
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — goods
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bear — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — shares

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