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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. track — a path
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. track — a song
  12. chest — a box
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stock — shares
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — to handle

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