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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: band · bat · pit · present · stock · mouse · calf · bear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — in a race
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a ring
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. present — there
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. bear — the 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