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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tube — the underground
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — shares
  11. chair — a leader
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. court — of a king
  16. hand — help
  17. stock — goods
  18. craft — a skill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hand — in cards

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