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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — in a race
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — obliged
  20. date — the fruit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chair — a leader

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