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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. branch — a division
  10. race — the arms race
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — there
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. race — a contest
  18. wake — a trail
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. firm — decided

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