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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — goods
  4. row — a line
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — a group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — shares
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — a stone

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