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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — goods
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — to play on
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — in golf
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ground — the earth
  19. swing — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pop — soda
  24. ground — a position

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