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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. club — for golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — shares
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. perch — for a bird

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