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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — a position
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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