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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — there
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — a match
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. track — a path
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. present — the time now
  22. branch — a division
  23. track — a song
  24. stock — a soup base

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