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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — happy
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. vault — a safe

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