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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fall — the season
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to sink
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — boats
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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