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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — a stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. track — a path
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. track — a song
  22. stock — shares
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — the bottom

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