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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. stock — shares
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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