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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. object — a thing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fine — all right
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. object — an aim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — to protest
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stock — shares
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — of a car

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