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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stock — goods
  3. toast — bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — finally
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — an amount
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — final
  23. fork — in a road
  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