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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. clip — a video
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — goods
  24. object — to protest

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