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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: hide · stock · tube · pit · hand · cabinet · calf · branch

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stock — shares
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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