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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — shares
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stock — goods
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for dancing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. foot — a measure

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