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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — shares
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — goods
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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