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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 120 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: deal · board · stock · rush · cap · staff · calf · court

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stock — shares
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cap — a lid
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. cap — of ice
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. staff — employees
  24. stock — a soup base

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