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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hand — help
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stock — goods
  24. calf — a young animal

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