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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — goods
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. squash — to crush
  13. capital — money
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — army training
  16. squash — the sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. roll — a cake
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. present — there
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — the tool
  24. present — the time now

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