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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — for sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — farmland
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — a subject
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cap — a hat

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