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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bore — to tire
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stock — shares
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stock — goods
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. pop — soda
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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