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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — in sport
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — letters
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — after costs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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