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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — help
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hand — in cards
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. club — for golf
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stock — shares

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