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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. capital — money
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — shares
  11. deal — to handle
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stock — goods
  24. calf — a young animal

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