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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kick — in football
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. roll — a cake
  16. drill — army training
  17. tube — a container
  18. degree — temperature
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — a list
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — an amount

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