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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — to crush
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stock — goods
  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