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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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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: clip · calf · staff · swing · vault · bank · stock · pound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. clip — for paper
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. clip — to cut
  10. swing — to play on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stock — goods
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. calf — a young animal

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