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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. capital — money
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stock — goods
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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