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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cue — a signal
  3. land — to come down
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. land — a country
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bank — of a river
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — a coil

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