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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · bulb · straw · stock · calf · court · mouse · mine

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stock — goods
  16. court — of a king
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — to put up with
  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