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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — the season
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. bass — low music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bass — the instrument
  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