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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — shares
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chest — a box
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — obliged

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