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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ball — a great time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — goods
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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