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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — a law
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. snap — to click
  9. bat — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — to paddle
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. board — to get on
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. board — a committee
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — goods

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