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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — in music
  9. cell — a phone
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stock — shares
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cell — in a prison

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