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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — in cards
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stock — shares
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — help
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — goods
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mate — a partner
  22. race — humankind
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. race — a contest

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