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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: branch · content · ground · calf · hide · object · stock · current

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. content — the amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — a position
  7. object — an aim
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. object — a thing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — happy
  19. current — of water
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — goods
  24. current — happening now

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