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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. kid — to tease
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — for sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — a subject
  21. kid — child
  22. field — farmland
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — of the leg

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