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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. scale — in music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. court — of law
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — shares
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mate — a partner
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stock — a soup base

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