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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — goods
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mate — a friend
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fine — all right
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — to breed

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