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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pit — a hole
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — finally
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — of a king
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. last — to go on
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — final
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. calf — of the leg

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