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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — shares
  3. bat — the animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. net — after costs
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stock — goods
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. object — to protest
  23. net — in sport
  24. firm — steady

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