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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: stock · hand · deal · game · shower · calf · bound · safe

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stock — goods
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a match
  8. bound — obliged
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — help
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — rain
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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