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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — goods
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — a practice
  17. craft — a skill
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pop — to visit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — of the leg

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