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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — of a king
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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