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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. content — happy
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — in football
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. current — of water
  16. stock — shares
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. charge — in control

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