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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stock — goods
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cue — a signal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a match
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — an injury

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