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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. chest — a box
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chest — of your body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rule — a law
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rule — government
  24. racket — for tennis

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