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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mug — a face
  12. chest — a box
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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