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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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