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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — government
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cue — a signal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — a law
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares

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