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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ball — a great time
  12. snap — to click
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. pound — a weight
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — to be able to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — music

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