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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — there
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — ground
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. present — the time now
  11. kick — in football
  12. present — a gift
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stock — shares
  18. land — a country
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pound — a weight
  24. racket — a loud noise

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