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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — shares
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — to come down
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — a permit

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