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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — the underground
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — a practice
  23. tube — a container
  24. stock — shares

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