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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rock — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — in football
  9. key — in music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. drill — army training
  24. kick — with a 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