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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. stock — shares
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — to eat

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