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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. current — electric
  8. rock — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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