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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 116 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — decided
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. land — ground
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. race — humankind
  17. land — a country
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stock — goods
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — a contest
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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