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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — goods
  6. toast — bread
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — shares

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