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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fine — high quality
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — after costs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — in sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — for catching
  21. stock — shares
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fine — all right

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