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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.

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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — a cup
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mug — a face
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — a division
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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