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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cap — a lid
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. charge — a price
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — goods
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — the sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — a hat
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — a gift
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — there

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