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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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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 · chest · firm · fan · pitch · trunk · stock · band

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a ring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. firm — steady
  11. band — a music group
  12. stock — goods
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — of your body

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