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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ball — a great time
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — a young animal

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