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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bound — certain
  3. present — a gift
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — there
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. track — a path
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rash — hasty
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — a song
  24. prune — the fruit

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