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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for golf
  10. firm — a company
  11. bulb — for light
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — the time now
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a great time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — a young 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