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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. capital — a city
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — money
  13. club — a group
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — shares
  17. degree — from a university
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stock — a soup base

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