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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stock — goods
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — shares
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — a series
  24. calf — of the 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