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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — after costs
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. net — for catching
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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