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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chest — a box
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stock — shares
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bark — to shout
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. chest — of your body

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