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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: calf · stock · pit · leaves · can · game · sharp · fork

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. sharp — clever
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a match
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — goods
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — of the leg

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