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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: mine · bay · stock · pit · bear · wound · bulb · calf

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — shares
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stock — goods

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