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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a document

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