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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. craft — boats
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mate — to breed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stock — shares

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